White House stymied bipartisan support for presidential ethics bill, says top House Dem
A Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee alleged Monday that several in her party who had initially indicated support for a bipartisan presidential ethics bill got cold feet after talking to the White House. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., previously announced the filing of a “landmark federal ethics reform bill” with Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee’s chairman, targeting financial disclosures, family members joining official travel junkets and other issues. Comer and Porter announced the Presidential Ethics Reform Act in late May, which itself reportedly stemmed from a back-and-forth between lawmakers during a March hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Porter, who lives in Orange County, California, claimed Monday that after she and Comer worked to recruit an equal number of bipartisan co-sponsors, the deal imploded while she was in the air on her way back to Washington. FORMER HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS PARTNER OFFERED CRITICAL TESTIMONY: COMER “I … was proud that I had found three senior Democratic co-sponsors. When I landed, I was really disappointed to learn that those co-sponsors had decided not to support the bill and had had conversations with the White House,” Porter claimed in comments to The Hill newspaper. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, as the paper cited three Democratic lawmakers it reported to be whom Porter was referring – Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. Mfume declined comment and the other two lawmakers did not respond. Porter’s office also did not provide comment. A source familiar with the situation, however, confirmed reports on the matter to Fox News Digital. The ethics bill did garner at least one major public supporter, as billionaire “Shark Tank” investor Mark Cuban posted, “All for this.” Congress’ official website shows Comer introduced the legislation on May 22 and listed Porter as its only current co-sponsor. Congress.gov indicated the bill has since been referred to the Oversight Committee. SCHWEIZER: HUNTER’S TIES TO CHINESE BUSINESSMAN ‘SUPERCHAIRMAN’ SHOULD DRAW SCRUTINY During a March 20 Biden impeachment inquiry hearing, Porter said the probe hit a “dead end” and that the next step should be to “stop bipartisan attacks on each other.” “The American people think that the rules that prevent corruption are way too weak to stop politicians from both sides of the aisle from influence peddling,” Porter added. After she ended her remarks, Comer interjected to say he believed the Democrat was “sincere” and that he “look[ed] forward to working with [her] on that legislation” in the future. The bill would require presidents and vice presidents to record and disclose payments or “items of value” given to them by foreign sources two years prior to and after their terms, as well as while they are in office. It would also require the two top national executives to disclose inter-familial payments of more than $10,000 during that same time period, and also provide stricter rules regarding disclosure of conflicts-of-interest. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Influence peddling is a cottage industry in Washington, and we’ve identified deficiencies in current law that have led to a culture of corruption,” Comer said of the bill. “By creating this bipartisan legislation to provide greater transparency to the financial interactions related to the office of the president and vice-president, we can ensure that moving forward, American presidents, vice presidents, and their family members cannot profit from their proximity to power.”
Illegal immigrant police could soon fill beleaguered ranks of blue city
The city of Seattle is looking to fill the depleted ranks of its police department with migrants who as children entered the country illegally. “The Seattle Police Department is now accepting applications from DACA recipients,” reads a post last week on the Seattle Police Department’s LinkedIn page. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, oftentimes known as “Dreamers,” are migrants who entered the country illegally as minors and have since taken advantage of the DACA policy, an Obama-era program that allows qualifying migrants the ability to defer action on deportation and gain work authorization in the United States. LAPD CHIEF SAYS DEPARTMENT IS LEADING NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT TO ARM DACA POLICE OFFICERS To qualify under the DACA program, recipients must have come to the U.S. before their 16th birthday and lack legal authorization to live in the United States. Despite program recipients being authorized to work in the U.S., they have typically been unable to enter jobs in law enforcement, with qualifications for Seattle’s police force previously noting that an applicant had to be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. DACA recipients also face restrictions on their ability to carry firearms, a vital qualification for aspiring law enforcement officers. However, the restriction on DACA recipients carrying firearms was disputed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) during a similar move by Los Angeles City authorities last year, with the U.S. Justice Department clarifying in a February letter that it is “ATF’s position” that “DACA recipients may also possess firearms and ammunition seized as evidence or for forfeiture if the possession is in connection with their official duties.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The path was further cleared for DACA recipients to enter the ranks of the Seattle Police Department earlier this year, with the Washington legislature passing SB 6157, which reformed state laws to allow DACA recipients to apply for civil service positions. The legislation was signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in March and went into effect last week. The new legislation was seemingly welcome news for the department, which, according to a KUOW report in April, had lost 725 officers over the last five years. That left the city with just 913 trained officers, the report noted, its lowest staffing level since the 1990s. DACA recipients will now be able to help fill that void, with the department updating its qualifications guidelines last week to reflect the change. “An applicant must hold a United States citizenship, OR have legal permanent residency in the U.S., OR be a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient,” the Seattle Police Department’s job qualifications page now reads. The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
What is Kavach, anti-collision system that could have prevented Kanchanjunga Express accident?
The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RSCO) in association with three Indian businesses created the in-house Kavach automated train protection (ATP) technology.
‘No consensus’: House backs off of push for large-scale AI regulations
The House of Representatives will likely not take up legislation this year to establish a large-scale framework for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital that AI development was in a stage where he was concerned that over-burdensome regulations could make the U.S. fall behind competitors like China. “There’s no consensus right now,” Scalise said when asked about the likelihood of AI legislation. “Frankly, we shouldn’t be having some new regulatory structure, billions of taxpayer money, to do what the private sector is already doing. You know, and AI is a great example of how America’s leading the world in innovation, we don’t need to limit that growth by throwing a whole lot of new regulations on top of it to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.” He signaled that a more targeted approach was possible, adding, “There’s problems and gaps in the law. Let’s take a look at those. But there are already existing laws to deal with some of the problems that you see there.” CYBER SCAMMERS USE AI TO MANIPULATE GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS Those comments from the No. 2 leader in the House GOP, who helps lead the majority’s legislative agenda, came a month after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his bipartisan AI working group unveiled a comprehensive report setting up a path to regulatory legislation in the relevant committees. That report recommended spending at least $32 billion in taxpayer dollars annually on “non-defense” AI innovation. Scalise said he was critical of the Senate’s approach. “They’re trying to put regulations in place that would actually impede the growth of this industry,” he said. “Why would we want to cede ground to a country like China?” WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? The House’s own bipartisan AI task force is working on putting together a report with policy recommendations for the rapidly advancing technology. Republicans on that panel also raised concerns about the Senate’s AI framework in a closed-door meeting with Scalise late last week, a source in the room told Fox News Digital. The source said it seemed “clear” at the meeting that GOP lawmakers would not support legislation establishing new agencies or licensing requirements for AI, and are wary of any approach that “creates burdens on new developers.” It puts the House and Senate in opposing positions on the issue, dimming the possibility of congressional action on AI this year. House AI task force Chair Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital the meeting with Scalise went well. “He was making it clear where he is with respect to universal licensing requirements, spinning up new federal agencies, new bureaucracy,” Obernolte said. The California Republican pointed out that AI has been “a remarkably bipartisan issue” and suggested that the House could still see some narrow, targeted AI legislation get a vote. ISRAEL REVEALS ‘MOST ADVANCED’ SURVEILLANCE PLANE WITH AI-POWERED SENSORS: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ “We have a short list of, we think, easy, basic bills on AI that solve more urgent problems that we think we can get done this year. And I will be having a discussion with Mr. Scalise about those bills,” he said. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., another member of the task force, agreed with Scalise’s approach. Hill said it was “premature” to roll out an approach similar to the European Union, which rolled out a wide-ranging framework that would set strict standards for AI companies and the technology’s use. “I think our view should be, let’s look at it sector by sector and prioritize what can we do under existing law and existing supervisory environments by area…and assess what kind of legislative effort we really need,” Hill said. “I don’t think we’re prepared to roll out some big overarching European-style artificial intelligence regulatory scheme.” This Congress has seen a flurry of AI legislation from both sides of the aisle. Increased accessibility to sophisticated AI models like ChatGPT and DeepAI has spurred a new and growing problem of “deepfake” content presented as real, particularly involving the November elections and consumer-targeted scams. However, AI has also been critical to advancements in healthcare, defense technology and other sectors. Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment on Scalise’s opposition.
Trump running mate contender makes pitch to top Republican donors
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, a top ally and potential running mate of former President Trump, is making the case for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Scott, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 nomination but remains a very popular figure in the GOP, on Wednesday convenes a one-day summit that is drawing top figures in the Republican Party as well as mega-donors who have yet to commit to Trump’s White House campaign. The all afternoon and evening gathering of Great Opportunity Policy, a Scott-aligned non-profit group that supports his political and policy agendas, will also double as a fundraiser for the former president as Trump enters his final phases in his search for a running mate. THESE REPUBLICANS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ON TRUMP’S SHORT LIST The senator helped organize a major fundraiser for Trump earlier this year ahead of the South Carolina primary, and he attended a top-dollar fundraiser in New York City for the former president last month. Additionally, Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, earlier this month launched a $14 million effort to help the former president win over Black and other non-White working class voters that Scott argues could be the deciding factor in November’s elections. On Wednesday, he will be making the case for Trump to a number of top donors and billionaires, including Ken Griffin, the founder of the Citadel hedge fund, who spent tens of millions during the 2024 Republican primaries in support of Trump’s rivals, and hedge fund executive Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital, who helped finance the campaigns of GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley and Democrat turned independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. VP STAKES: TRUMP MEETS WITH POTENTIAL RUNNING MATES When asked what his message is to top donors who have yet to fully commit to the former president, Scott told Fox News Digital last month that “it is in the best interest of the United States of America to have four more years of President Donald Trump. It is in the best interest of our economy to have four more years of Donald Trump.” “The one thing you can discern as a top donor and Republican and, frankly, a strong business person is that a strong economy makes all things possible,” Scott, who was one of roughly a dozen Republican candidates who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before ending his White House bid late last year, endorsed the former president in January. The conservative senator from South Carolina over the past five months has become a top Trump surrogate and is considered to be among a small group of contenders on the short list as Trump’s running mate on the 2024 Republican ticket. Political analysts say that Scott, as a Black evangelical, could help the former president make a sizable dent in President Biden’s lead with minority voters. His campaign trail efforts on behalf of Trump appear to have impressed the former president. “You are a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself,” Trump has said to Scott a handful of times. However, pundits question whether Scott’s uneven debate appearances during the Republican presidential primaries could be an issue for him if he faces off against Vice President Kamala Harris this summer in a general election running mate debate. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Schumer deletes ‘cringe’ Father’s Day photo after conservatives rip his grilling skills: ‘E coli with cheese’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was blasted on social media over the weekend for a Father’s Day post, which the New York Democrat eventually deleted, showing off his backyard grill. “Our family has lived in an apartment building for all our years, but my daughter and her wife just bought a house with a backyard and for the first time we’re having a barbeque with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill!” Schumer posted on X on Sunday. “Father’s Day Heaven!” The post was immediately criticized by conservatives accusing him of placing cheese on one of the burger patties prematurely and not knowing how to properly grill the burger. “Chuck is making an E. coli with cheese,” Cavalry founding partner Michael Duncan posted on X. SCHUMER URGES TRUMP ALLIES TO LET LEGAL PROCESS ‘MOVE FORWARD’ AFTER GUILTY VERDICT “You put cheese on a raw patty,” Popular conservative account “Nuance Bro” posted on X. “Y’all are so bad at pretending to be normal human beings.” “I get that you’re playing to the masses but literally no one puts cheese on a raw beef patty,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “If you need help learning how to do basic grilling stuff let me know. Nice try relating though. Fuc$&?g communists!!!” NIKKI HALEY ANNOUNCES HER FATHER’S DEATH ON FATHER’S DAY Schumer eventually deleted the post which had been “ratioed” by conservative accounts. “Chuck Schumer just deleted this post where he got insanely ratioed for not knowing how to make a cheeseburger,” LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Democrats try to be relatable without being super cringe challenge: IMPOSSIBLE.” Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment but did not receive a response. “Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!” Schumer said in another Father’s Day post that remains on social media.
House GOP probes whether special counsel office helped retaliate against Hunter Biden whistleblowers
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are investigating whether the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) contributed to the alleged retaliation and “smear campaign” against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who brought claims of political influence in the Hunter Biden investigation to Congress. Fox News Digital has exclusively obtained a letter penned by House Speaker Mike Johnson; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan; and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith to the OSC. The top Republican lawmakers are seeking a briefing to determine whether there has been improper influence surrounding the IRS whistleblowers’ claims pending before the OSC. “IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler have been wholly consistent in their testimony about misconduct and politicization in the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation of Hunter Biden,” the Republican leaders said in a joint-statement to Fox News Digital. “They did exactly what an honorable government employee should do: when they witnessed wrongdoing, they reported it responsibly and made legally protected disclosures.” ADVOCATES FOR IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS ACCUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL WEISS OF RETALIATION, MISLEADING: ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’ The lawmakers said that “because of their bravery and integrity, we are finally beginning to see steps toward accountability.” “But this has not come without great cost to them,” they added. “Mr. Shapley and Ziegler have faced retaliation for doing the right thing.” IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SHAPLEY SAID HE ‘COULD NO LONGER PURSUE’ HUNTER BIDEN SUGAR BROTHER KEVIN MORRIS DUE TO CIA “The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is tasked with protecting whistleblowers, must conduct an impartial investigation of the claims of Mr. Shapley and Ziegler without improper influence from those seeking to smear these courageous individuals.” Shapley, who led the IRS’ portion of the Biden probe, and Ziegler, a 13-year special agent within the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division, have alleged political influence surrounding prosecutorial decisions throughout the Biden investigation, which began in 2018. Shapley has said decisions “at every stage” of the probe “had the effect of benefiting the subject of the investigation.” Additionally, Ziegler has said that Biden “should have been charged with a tax felony, and not only the tax misdemeanor charge,” and that communications and text messages reviewed by investigators “may be a contradiction to what President Biden was saying about not being involved in Hunter’s overseas business dealings.” Ziegler also alleged that federal investigators “did not follow the ordinary process, slow-walked the investigation, and put in place unnecessary approvals and roadblocks from effectively and efficiently investigating the case,” including prosecutors blocking certain questioning and interviewing of Biden’s adult children. IRS OFFICIAL SAYS HE WAS FRUSTRATED DOJ DID NOT BRING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN FOR 2014, 2015 TAX YEARS Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the letter they wrote to OSC Acting Principal Deputy Special Counsel Karen Gorman, which notified her that they are investigating whether the OSC “has contributed by action and/or inaction to retaliation” against Shapley and Ziegler. The House Republican leadership and committee chairmen requested a briefing to “better understand OSC’s conduct and to ensure that there has not been any improper influence on OSC’s investigation.” Shapley and Ziegler both have whistleblower retaliation claims pending before the OSC. “In particular, SSA Shapley made protected disclosures about the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, alleging prosecutorial misconduct in the Hunter Biden investigation,” they wrote, adding that Shapley alleges that then-U.S. Attorney, now-special counsel David Weiss “began retaliating against him in November 2022 upon learning of the disclosure of his Office’s wrongdoing.” The Republicans said that in March of this year, Weiss filed a redacted document related to the whistleblowers with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. HOUSE REPUBLICANS REFER HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY They noted that “the phrasing of and redactions to the filing have led to media speculation about whether the whistleblowers themselves are under investigation for wrongdoing,” but said they have received information to prove that Shapley and Ziegler “are not under investigation.” Last month, Shapley and Ziegler said they would seek an inspector general investigation into Weiss, alleging he “hid and twisted” information – prompting more angst on Capitol Hill amid inquiries into Biden family conduct and alleged politicization of the Justice Department. Empower Oversight, the legal group representing Shapley and Ziegler, alleged that Weiss’ team – in a March 11 federal court filing – deliberately misled the public by suggesting an unnamed federal agency was investigating the two whistleblowers for misconduct. However, the vague reference to the “potential investigation(s)” is a reference to a probe the whistleblowers sought, alleging the Justice Department and IRS were retaliating against them for their disclosures. “David Weiss has been retaliating against Gary Shapley ever since Shapley objected a year and a half ago to letting the statute of limitations lapse on 2014 felony tax charges against Hunter Biden,” Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, told Fox News Digital last month. “Weiss then learned from internal IRS communications that Shapley had been telling his IRS chain of command about Weiss’ office pulling punches in the Hunter Biden probe.” Empower Oversight at the time also asked the OSC to clarify for the record that the two agents are not under investigation. Meanwhile, the House GOP leaders noted that President Biden’s nomination of now-special counsel Hampton Dellinger caused senators to express “deep concern” about his ability to “fairly” investigate the whistleblowers’ claims given his past work. Dellinger worked at Boise Schiller law firm “with Hunter Biden on various Burisma-related matters.” Dellinger recused himself from the OSC’s investigation related to whistleblowers’ claims. The OSC confirmed the receipt of the letter Monday but declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Weiss indicted Hunter Biden on federal gun charges in Delaware and was found guilty on all counts last week. Biden had pleaded not guilty. Weiss also charged the first son with federal tax crimes. That trial is set to begin on Sept. 5 with jury selection in California. Biden has
Elizabeth Warren warns Dems to stand firm on tax hikes as fight looms over Trump-era cuts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is pressing her fellow Democrats to take tough stances on new tax policy as lawmakers prepare for the expiration of part of the Trump-era tax cuts after 2025. Speaking at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth during its event titled, “The Promise of Equitable and Pro-Growth Tax Reform,” the progressive lawmaker is expected to stress the importance of championing tax reforms to crack down on corporations. REPUBLICANS BACK STOPGAP SPENDING BILL INTO 2025 IN ANTICIPATION OF GOP WINS “At the end of the 2025 tax reform process, large corporations must pay higher taxes. A typical billionaire must pay a higher tax rate than a typical middle-class family. Wealthy tax cheats must be sweating because the IRS has enough money to enforce the law,” Warren will say, reported Punchbowl News. The former presidential candidate is going to make clear to her party that they cannot compromise too much of their goal. “A little money for poor children or a modest tax cut for middle-class families is still a lousy deal when we can’t fund childcare or infrastructure because the wealthiest among us are still sucking up billions in tax breaks,” she will reportedly explain. TRUMP SELLS SENATE REPUBLICANS ON PLAN TO WIN OVER WORKERS IN CLOSED-DOOR MEETING “Better to let all the Trump tax cuts expire than be accomplices to another slash-and-burn tax bonanza for America’s billionaires,” she will reportedly say, referring to the tax cuts afforded to Americans in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, often referred to as Trump tax cuts. The cuts will expire after 2025, and many Republicans are working to renew them as Democrats plot a different tax policy direction. TOOL TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT EMPLOYMENT COMES TO SENATE AS BORDER CRISIS RAGES Warren is also reportedly planning to criticize the tax framework that her Democratic colleague Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has been working on for months. Wyden has been engaged with House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., on a potential bipartisan tax deal. The Massachusetts senator is expected to claim Republicans “tanked the deal because they believe they can get even more next year, and Democrats won’t have the spine to stop them,” in a jab at her own party. RIOTER VANDALISM TARGETED AFTER DC STATUES DEFACED: ‘LONG LIVE HAMAS’ Warren’s significant push for Democrats to dig in their heels on tax priorities comes as the Senate Finance Committee’s Democrats are reportedly expected to meet Thursday to plan for 2025. President Biden, who is vying for a second term in the White House, has said his plan is to allow former President Trump’s tax cuts to expire when 2025 comes to a close. He would additionally increase the tax burden on companies and people making more money. Warren’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox exclusive: Migrants freed under ICE program exploded to over 7.4M
EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s non-detained docket has surged to over 7 million cases in fiscal year 2024. Internal federal data obtained by Fox News shows that the ICE non-detained docket has hit 7.4 million cases and is on track to reach 8 million by the end of the fiscal year, multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News. The non-detained docket, which the agency’s website explains is part of its Alternatives to Detention program, provided case-management support to released migrants that ICE says has helped “support noncitizens compliance with release conditions” and “increased court appearance rates.” NYC MIGRANT SQUATTERS FOUND WITH DRUGS AND GUNS WERE PREVIOUSLY CAUGHT AT SOUTHERN BORDER AND RELEASED: ICE However, the surge of migrants on the docket has exacerbated staffing issues at the agency, which only has about 6,000 deportation officers across the country, not all of whom work on the non-detained docket. As a result, each ICE officer working the docket is responsible for managing an average of 7,000 cases. Working their way through the mountain of cases is essentially impossible at current manpower and resource levels, federal sources told Fox News, with the increased pace of border crossings putting heavy strain on ICE employees. BILL MAHER SOUNDS ALARM ON IMMIGRATION CHAOS: IT’LL GET DEMS ‘F—ED ON ELECTION DAY’ The non-detained docket has added more than 1 million cases since October 1 and more than doubled since President Biden took office in 2021, when the docket had just under 3.7 million cases on it. The number of those on the non-detained docket also does not include the nearly 1.9 million recorded getaways that have entered the country since Biden took office, federal sources said, noting that those migrants have not had any contact with the Department of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, those 1.9 million are also the responsibility of ICE officers, who are tasked with tracking down and removing those migrants, in addition to managing the non-detained docket. The White House and ICE did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Project Control Engineer Blends Project Management, Engineering and Sustainability to Redefine Industry Norms
A Project Control Engineer possesses a unique set of skills that allows them to oversee multiple aspects of a project.